Gomes' homer sends Reds over Cardinals 2-1

Apr 8, 2010 - 8:34 PM
By JOE KAY
AP Baseball Writer

CINCINNATI(AP) -- Jonny Gomes saw both of them coming - the pitch
and the pummeling.

Gomes expected a fastball and got one, connecting for a solo
homer in the bottom of the ninth Thursday that sent the
Cincinnati Reds to their first victory of the season, 2-1 over
the St. Louis Cardinals.

Then, he threw himself into the celebratory scrum at home,
flinging away his batting helmet before hopping on the plate
with both feet. Teammates mobbed him after the second
game-ending homer of his career.

"It's always good getting that zero off the board, no matter
what the category is - wins, hits, whatever," Gomes said.

He came up with one out in the ninth to face Jason Motte (0-1),
brought in to face him. Motte ran the count to 2-2, throwing all
fastballs. The homer came on yet another one, this one well
above the belt.

"You're going to see that late in the game with a guy who throws
hard," Gomes said. "That's power on power right there."

Despite the loss, the defending NL Central champions came away
happy with how the first road series went overall. The Cardinals
got solid starts in all three games.

"We won the series," manager Tony La Russa said. "We had a shot
at the end. It's disappointing when you don't win the third one,
but we did all right here."

Bronson Arroyo came between the Cardinals and the sweep. Arroyo
went the first eight innings, holding down a lineup that scored
17 runs in the first two games. Matt Holliday hit his first
homer for the Cardinals, who finished with only four hits.
Francisco Cordero (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth.

Gomes' first homer of the season decided a matchup between
Arroyo and Brad Penny, who allowed one run apiece before leaving
it in the hands of the bullpens. Motte ended it with a big
mistake.

"Not where I wanted to throw it - up and out over the plate,"
Motte said. "It's not the pitch, but where I threw it."

After two games in unseasonably warm weather, the teams finished
on a more typical April afternoon - 54 degrees and breezy. Both
starters wore short sleeves and had their way with bundled-up
hitters.

Arroyo even got in a little offense, too.

Ryan Hanigan doubled just inside third base with two outs in the
fifth inning. Up came Arroyo, who fouled off a pair of
two-strike pitches from Penny before lining a single to center
for Cincinnati's first lead of the season.

Holliday tied it in the seventh with a drive into the left field
seats. Arroyo gave up four hits in eight innings, striking out
six.

Penny signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal last December with
the Cardinals, who lost the back end of their rotation to free
agency. He looked good during his first appearance in the
Cardinals' traditional red stirrups, giving up six hits and one
run in seven innings.

No surprise that he plowed through the Reds' order. Penny has
won his last seven decisions against Cincinnati, not losing to
the Reds since 2001 with Florida. He's 7-2 career against them.

This time, he met his match in Arroyo.

"We do our job and keep the team close, usually this team is
going to come through and score a few runs," Penny said. "We've
got a great lineup. You've just got to tip you hat to him
today."

Arroyo was one of the NL's best pitchers in the second half of
last season. The right-hander was bothered by a flare-up of
carpal tunnel syndrome early in the season. From July 10 on, he
had a 2.07 ERA that was the best in the majors.

The wrist hasn't been a problem this year - he gave up playing
guitar and writing with his right hand to ease the strain.

The lanky right-hander took Colby Rasmus' comeback grounder off
the side of his left shin in the second inning and limped around
the infield for a couple of minutes. He threw a few practice
pitches and continued even though his calf hurt the rest of the
game.

"I've been hit a lot harder in other places, but this one is
killing me," Arroyo said. "As the game went on, it got tighter
and tighter. It actually might have helped my changeup because I
had to keep a shorter stride."

NOTES: The Cardinals were trying for their first three-game
series sweep in Cincinnati since 2005. ... Arroyo didn't drive
in a run last season, going 7 for 62 (.113). His best season at
the plate was 2008, when he batted .197 and drove in six runs.
... Arroyo fanned Albert Pujols in the fourth for his 1,000th
career strikeout. ... Gomes' other game-ending homer came with
Tampa Bay off Detroit's Troy Percival on July 9, 2005.